Traffic altered into Thursday by water main break

Molly McGowan / Times-News

Wednesday

Oct 16, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 16, 2013 at 1:08 PM

A large water main break Wednesday morning closed the 1500 block of East Webb Avenue in Burlington, and traffic was rerouted by the N.C. Department of Transportation while city crews worked to repair the pipe.

City officials expect to remove the damaged asphalt and begin repaving the affected section Thursday morning, if weather allows.

The break occurred at about 11 a.m.

“We had a 12-inch water main that broke, that split at the bell,” near Webb Avenue and Queen Ann Street, said Donnie West, assistant superintendent of Burlington’s water and sewer pipe maintenance division. Each 20-foot section of pipe is sealed at a bell and spigot joint, and that the pipe’s age contributed to Wednesday’s break.

Of the water main breaks that have occurred in Burlington over the last six months, West said Wednesday’s was one of the bigger ones. He said the city was able to use valves to isolate the section of pipe that burst so only about five residents went without water this afternoon.

“We’ll have the water back on this evening, but the DOT is going to … detour traffic,” throughout Wednesday night, West said.

On Thursday, if weather allows, West said, “They’re going to have to mill the road,” which entails removing the buckled asphalt from the roadway before repaving the street.

According to the NCDOT, the southbound lanes near Williamson Street will remain closed until further notice, and only one lane is open for the Webb Avenue detour. Via the detour, southbound traffic will take a right onto South Anthony Street, a left onto Maple Avenue, and a left onto Harden Street to return to N.C. 87 South.

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